The Skywalker Saga-Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
by Vikesman100
Summary: Cade Skywalker and Rey, constantly pursued by the sinister dark warrior Kylo Ren, train under the legendary Jedi Luke Skywalker while hunting for the whereabouts of an ancient evil. Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Snoke unleashes the might of the First Order against the brave defenders of the New Republic.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: Hi everyone! I hope the new year is finding you well! I have been very stressed out with life in general, so I have not had much time to write. My plan is to release a new chapter every Friday. I most likely will not be posting again until next Friday, February 7th. I was just so excited to get the ball rolling. Perhaps your praise (or disdain, but hopefully the first one) encourages me to write more. I'm currently a quarter of the way through Chapter III (It's not very far, I know). Writer's block has been a real struggle for me this time around and trying to make a cohesive story from scratch isn't easy, but I'm doing my best! I'm going to start an audio version of my TFA and put it on my YouTube Channel if you all would like to check that out. I will be providing updates for that when it happens. I hope you enjoy this first chapter and that it entices you to come back for more!

May the Force Be With You!

Vikesman100

* * *

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

STAR WARS

EPISODE VIII

THE LAST JEDI

The FIRST ORDER advances! Having destroyed the

leadership of the Republic, Supreme Leader Snoke sends

his merciless legions to conquer the unsuspecting galaxy.

Leia Organa leads the retreating REPUBLIC in this time of crisis,

assisted by her brother Luke Skywalker and his young JEDI apprentices.

She is certain the Jedi can rise from the ashes and

return to restore peace throughout the galaxy.

Having been sent on a covert mission to the

smuggler's moon of Nar Shaddaa, the young Jedi

are unaware of the menacing actions of their adversary.

Even as the young Jedi speed towards their destination,

Snoke continues to develop his plan for galactic domination

in the UNKNOWN REGIONS of space…

* * *

Chapter I

The ship emerged from hyperspace around the bright star. General Hux squinted as the celestial body engulfed the viewports in front of him. What had once been a swirl of blue was replaced by a pulsating sphere of pure white. Two spokes emerged from ends of the star, looking like a child's toy.

The star had once been much smaller, but thousands of years ago it had consumed one of the planets surrounding it. The planet had been devoid of all life, but nonetheless it was food for the growing star. The other planet, this one dotted with oceans and small continents, orbited the star like a satellite.

The station grew larger in the viewports as they closed the distance. Hux noticed it was of ancient design, being at least thousands of years old, maybe more. He marveled at the simple beauty. Even though he had helped in the design of the ships it produced, this was the first instance in which he had been permitted to visit the facility. And it was no normal visit.

No, the Supreme Leader had ordered him here, as well as his enforcer. Hux scoffed at the idea of sharing a shuttle with him for the transfer over; the two saw one another as rivals, each competing for the affection of a figure who would never return it. Hux would do his duty. He nodded at the captain, indicating he would be departing. The ship would orbit and await further orders.

_Just as they should_, thought the general. Most of the officers onboard were relatively inexperienced, even though they had been openly fighting the New Republic for over a year now. The ship was part of the Battle for Starkiller Base, but had been kept in reserve instead of on the front lines. That would soon change, thanks to the audience with the Supreme Leader, Hux hoped.

These thoughts were swirling through his mind as he approached the shuttle. At the bottom of the ramp stood the countenance of Kylo Ren, a monster of rage and mystery. He was clothed all in black and completed the visage with a helmet that reflected the face of anyone who dared to approach him.

"You're late," breathed Ren, the mask providing a deep and muffled voice. Hux had seen him without it before, but it no longer mattered. He rarely took it off.

"On the contrary," spoke Hux, his voice coming off as silky smooth and full of arrogance. "We have just entered shuttle range of the station." He gestured towards the ship. "After you."

The two of them sat opposite of one another in the passenger compartment and the shuttle lifted off seamlessly. It exited the belly of the Star Destroyer and began the short journey to the space station.

General Hux was one of the few to know the true history of this place. The Supreme Leader had decreed it so. The star and its orbiting facility they were now approaching had been his alone, for a time. Hidden away from the old Empire, it was used with brutal efficiency eons ago. Supreme Leader Snoke would have his victory. The Star Forge would ensure this.

The station was well lit, both inside and out. The shuttle touched down and the ramp lowered. Hux exited the ship first, followed by Ren. The precession was lined with red-armored stormtroopers, nearly an entire company, though it was only a mere fraction of the elite forces he possessed. Their faces expressionless, they advanced. Waiting for them towards the end of this display of strength stood an advisor to the Supreme Leader. His face was pock-marked and large bags hung from his eyes. They glowed yellow from the dark side energy which had possessed him. While he himself was not a practitioner of the Force, his time around Snoke had an undesirable effect on him.

"The Supreme Leader will see you now," he said, his voice predatory and full of hidden malice.

He led the two men further into the station. Taking a turbotube deeper into the facility, the general soon realized where they were heading. Beside a small elevator stood two Praetorian Guards, erect in their gleaming red armor, their staffs held across their chests, blocking the elevator from all intruders.

The advisor shrank away, leaving the two men standing there. The guards watched him leave, then raised their staffs, allowing the guests to enter the elevator. They rode the elevator in silence.

They emerged into a large amphitheater and found the walls lined in the blood-red and black colors of the First Order. At least a dozen Praetorian Guards lined the walls of the chamber. Located directly in front of the viewport sat the reason for their visit: Supreme Leader Snoke.

He was watching the facility work and did not turn as the two men approached his throne. They knelt before him and did not speak, instead waiting for him to commence the discussion.

"How goes my war, General?" asked Snoke, his voice icy and lacking any compassion. His words hung there for a moment, Hux unwilling or unable to answer the question. "Do not make me repeat myself, General." With this, Snoke spun around to face them.

He was slightly slouching in the chair. His skin was a translucent pink. Humanoid, but not human, his gaunt hands were long and slender. They were positioned directly in front of his face. A face full of scars and poorly reconstructed features, with a broken nose and one eye lower than the other. Running the length of his bald head was a wound that ran deep within his skull. Snoke was wearing a golden robe over a grey tunic, the lights in the throne room making them sparkle.

Hux cleared his voice to speak. "Supreme Leader. We are pushing into the Western Reaches and Mid Rim as we speak. The industrial worlds of Sullust and Savareen will soon be ours."

"What of the Siege of the Anoat Sector?" Snoke asked.

Hux coughed again, a slight hesitation in his response. "Encountering more resistance than expected, Supreme Leader. Those systems were under the thumb of the Empire for quite a long time after the Concordance." He wanted to continue with the report but had noticed the visage of Snoke was becoming angry. "We will redouble our efforts, Supreme Leader."

Snoke nodded, pleased but not displaying it. "Anything else?"

Hux shook his head, "No. Our fleets are operating at full-capacity, even with the shortage of manpower. The Republic is on the run and is barely putting up a defense throughout much of the region."

Snoke stared directly into what Hux felt was his soul and spoke in an angry tone of voice, "Then perhaps you can explain how the Republic managed to evacuate its base on D'Qar?"

Hux was flabbergasted, unable to put together a coherent response to explain himself. "Supreme Leader … our fleet … the Republic was better prepared than we had though. Admiral Kenney-"

Snoke rose from his chair, pointing an accusatory finger at the general. "I do not care for your excuses, General. _You promised me a quick and efficient victory_!" His voice bellowed throughout the chamber, causing the electronic apparatus to quiver. "This war has dragged on for months longer than you predicted!"

"I can explain, Supreme Leader. High Command thought, and I concurred, that the Death's Head and Third Strike Fleets remain in reserve until a breakout-"

"Reserve?" asked a now furious and confused Snoke. "_You have our best forces held in reserve_?"

"Yes, Supreme Leader. We thought it would be the most efficient way to pulverize the Republic forces once-"

Those were the only words he was able to say before he went flying through the air. Snoke used the Force to fling him towards one of the viewports before turning the man around quickly and smacking him hard against the decking of the room.

Still in his grasp, Hux had no choice but to be brought by Snoke into a hover mere inches from his face. The man was bleeding, but the Supreme Leader did not care. His will would not be disobeyed. "You will start attacking the Inner Rim with these fleets _immediately_." Like a parent disciplining a child, he spoke in the same manner and tone of voice. "Do you understand?" Hux nodded.

With no indication of doing so, he dropped the man. He once again fell before the Supreme Leader. Almost immediately, he stood at attention. "It will be done, Supreme Leader."

Snoke nodded. He sternly observed the condition of the man and brushed it off. "Do not fail me again, General." He then turned his attention to the other man. Without returning his gaze to him, he spoke to Hux. "You are dismissed."

Hux walked past Kylo Ren with both relief and fear. He had no idea what the Supreme Leader would say to the younger man. He only knew it would be worse than what he had experienced.

Once the sound of his boots had faded away and the elevator began its descent did the master address the student. "And you wonder why I keep a rabid cur in such a place of power? A cur's weakness, properly manipulated, can be a sharp tool." He paused, allowing this statement to sink into the man before him. "How goes the hunt for Skywalker?"

Ren rose and began to slowly approach the still standing Snoke. "Not well," he admitted, his voice clearly full of disappointment even with his mask on. "He has yet to reveal himself to me and continues to send his apprentices on missions across the galaxy. They have assisted in various rescues across the war front." He hesitated before speaking again. "They were the group behind the extraction of the Naboo Royal Family."

Snoke's eyes grew large in surprise, angered once more. "You had failed to mention _that_ in your last report."

Ren was quick to reply. "Because I did not think you needed to know what I have just recently confirmed for myself."

Snoke adopted a look of horror on his face, followed quickly by rage. "You are now keeping information from me?"

Ren did not hesitate in his answer. "I do not want to displease you with my lack of information, Supreme Leader."

"You do realize what this means," asked an enraged Snoke. "It means the Jedi have grown in their power_ while we stand here and do nothing_!" Again his voice boomed, reverberating throughout the chamber. "Skywalker trains a new generation of Jedi and you, Kylo Ren, dark warrior and heir to Lord Vader, _cannot find them_?" He was filled with rage. "Look at you. You are conflicted. You are unbalanced, bested by a boy who had not held a lightsaber in years! You failed!"

Ren said nothing, the rage on his face hidden underneath the helmet. But Snoke could sense the feelings of his apprentice. He huffed in surprise. "You are tired of the constant reports. You believe yourself to be stronger…" he smiled. "A lesson, then." Before Ren had time to ignite his lightsaber, Snoke unleashed a barrage of Force Lightning, sending the blue bolts across the throne room.

Ren was unable to block them at first and experienced immense pain, but brought his weapon to bear mere moments later. He inflected them back at his opponent, but Snoke was counting on this. With his free hand, he absorbed the energy and sent it hurtling back towards his wayward apprentice.

Ren flew back and crashed against the one viewport, cracking it ever so slightly. He was in intense pain and wanted it to end but did not want to yield. Barely able to stand on one knee, he called his lightsaber towards him and prepared for attack again. Snoke began to approach. His Praetorian Guard began to surround him. He waved them off. He looked down at his apprentice.

"Do you understand the point of this lesson?" he spoke through his teeth, gritting them towards Ren.

Realizing he was not yet ready to face his master, he deactivated his lightsaber, dropping it. "Yes, Supreme Leader."

Snoke called the weapon to his hands and closed the distance between the two of them. "You must be stronger if you are to defeat Skywalker and his apprentices." He looked down at the lightsaber in his hands. "Why do you carry such a weapon, my apprentice? The hilt is broken and the crystal itself nearly shattered. It is chaos held in your hands."

Ren knew the answer but did not want to admit it. It would show he was still subservient. Obedient. _But_, he told himself_, this was the way of the Dark Side_. Give up some liberties to gain absolute freedom. "It represents myself, Supreme Leader. And the chaos I will bring to those who would dare oppose us."

Snoke was surprised but did not show it. His apprentice had said "us" instead of "you". Perhaps he would make a worthy Sith someday.

"Very well," he said, his voice full of malice. "You may rise, Ren. Go, and find Skywalker. Do not return until you have destroyed the Jedi."

Whether he had meant one of the Jedi or all of them, Ren did not ask. He was too enraged and weak to ask. He retrieved his lightsaber and stalked off, taking the descending elevator to the level of the hangar.

When he approached the shuttle, he found Hux inside, cleaning his wounds. He sat opposite the man. The officer had noticed there was still smoke rising from his body armor. His meeting with Snoke did not go well either, he determined. At least he was not the only one who had failed the Supreme Leader. Neither of them would make that mistake again.

* * *

_This was some smuggler's moon_, Cade thought to himself as he walked through the streets of the undercity. While the upper levels of the moon were pristine and clean in order to show the power of the Hutts, the lower levels were the exact opposite. Bright neon signs advertised restaurants and shops of all kinds. Lodging, food, entertainment, gambling, companionship; it could all be found below the surface. For the right price of course.

Nar Shaddaa was the largest moon of the world Nal Hutta, home to the giant worm-like species known as the Hutts. The most prominent members of this species were involved in the undesirable yet necessary part of the galaxy: the black market. Most dealt in trafficking of some kind, whether it be slaves, weapons, or spice.

The Old Republic had always condemned such actions but worked in secret with the Hutts to keep this nasty yet crucial part of the galactic economy churning. The New Republic, not so much. Under the leadership of individuals such as Leia Organa and Mon Mothma, the Hutts began to pay massive tariffs. If they wanted to conduct their unethical business practices, they would have to pay for it. Or so went the idea.

Cade thought this humorous as he walked by a street vendor openly selling spice to any interested parties. While it may have worked on the upper levels of the Vertical City, the undercity was a completely different beast. There were no rules down here, no law. You could only trust yourself. Cade used to be alone, but recent events had encouraged, or more like _forced,_ as he liked to joke with them, to make friends.

Cade continued his walk until he found the bar he was looking for. It was truly a hole in the wall, but it was the one the contact had specified. It occupied a dirty brown space with a neon sign that blinked in and out. Beyond, a veranda stretched out to the open air of the main speedway for the Vertical City for those patrons who wanted some fresh air or didn't want their business overheard by the less than desirable scum. He was the last of the team to arrive and he had been trained for years on how to remain unseen.

Behind him, a droid tweetled at him and he smiled. The blue and silver astromech was nervous, that was obvious. But his remarks exuded confidence. "You sure?" he asked the droid. "You don't have to come in if you don't want to. I understand." R2-D2 chirped at him again. "Alright, alright. You don't have to offer me backup twice. Remember, keep a low-profile." R2 beeped at him nervously. "Just don't _look_ like you're trying to keep a low-profile. Stick close to me." The two of them entered the bar and blended into the crowd.

* * *

_Where is he_? The young woman thought to herself as she sat in a corner booth in the bar known as the Meltdown Café. It was a place frequented by bounty hunters, smugglers, gamblers, and all other forms of filth in the galaxy. Rey observed a fight break out between a Rodian and Gran over something minor. She could not make out exactly what it was. The two each threw a drunken punch that was quickly resolved by their Devaronian friend, who also happened to be drunk.

Her eyes flicked across the bar, looking for her friend. He was supposed to be here nearly an hour ago and still had not shown up. She was beginning to worry what had happened to him when she saw the dome of a familiar R2 unit. Her friend was wearing the same blue and grey jacket that he had been when they had met not too long ago, his hair a messy red mop. He had regrown his sandy beard, as he had become recognizable without it. Better to keep a low profile than to advertise openly that you were the son of a famous war hero. Had it already been a year and a half? Rey hadn't realized how much time had passed since their escape from Jakku.

He noticed her gaze and gave her a "what do you think you're lookin' at", followed by a wink. They had to keep up appearances after all. She gave him one as well and returned to stare at whatever liquid resided in her mug she had ordered. Cade had told her to drink it in order to blend in. He hadn't specified what to order though. So she'd ordered what she thought sounded the best, which she now realized was not the smartest thing to do. She hoped the meet would go down soon so she could leave this bar and get away from the vile sludge sitting in front of her.

Cade looked around the bar to see where the other member of his party was at. He would not be the one making the transfer, as his last visit to Nar Shaddaa didn't end particularly well. Their buyer only knew they were selling a very important Jedi artifact to someone in the upper echelons of the Republic. No real names. No small talk. Just a simple transaction. It ought to be easy. But Cade knew things never went as such.

He watched as the man in a tan and red flight jacket handed off the payment to their contact, Reci Boz. A Twi'lek with a nasty scar along his left green tendril, he represented the powerful Hutt clans down here in the lower city. All trade and traffic that didn't want to garner attention went through him.

"Where's the package?" asked Finn, his voice cool and under control. Cade had been worried about him volunteering for this part of the mission, but he seemed to be doing alright so far.

"It's in a secure location, waiting for our deal to be concluded," said Boz, his words slithering through his snake-like teeth. He had a thick accent, most likely from a childhood spent in the slums of the Vertical City away from proper schooling. "There has been a," his voiced changed inflection and he smirked at Finn. "Complication."

Pulling off the best Han Solo impression he could muster, Finn leaned back in his chair, focusing on a piece of the wall behind their booth and picking at it. "Is that so? And what might that be?"

"My boss demands you pay another ten-thousand. Other parties are interested, and the price just went up."

Finn shook his head. "No can do. My buyer is already putting his entire fortune on the line here. We can't go any higher."

_Wrong way to say that pal_, thought Cade. He scratched his ear and activated the communicator behind it. "Tell him you can only pay half that. He's bluffing. The artifact has been sitting in their vault for the past thirty years and they haven't been able to move it. We're their first interested buyer."

Finn did not acknowledge this, but both Rey and Cade could overhear his response. "What I mean to say is that my boss can only go slightly higher. Half. That's all he's got left."

Cade smiled inwardly, realizing his friend might pull this off. Boz considered this for a moment. He smiled at the man sitting across from him. "Who did you say you worked for again?"

Finn's words stumbled out of his mouth. "I-I work for," he tried to think of a senator's name off the top of his head. "I work for Purash Rendar, from Commenor. Perhaps you've heard of him?"

Cade grimaced. Rendar had been one of the senators to have died on Hosnian Prime. He knew this was a botched mission now. "Really? Rendar? The same one who died not long ago in an attack by the First Order?" He stood up from the table, leaving the case there. "I think we're done here."

Finn stood up to block him. Boz snarled his teeth at him and Finn put his hands up in mock surrender. "Look, we just wanted a meeting. We have the credits in the case there." There was no hesitation in his voice now. "Tell you what. We can pay you seven-thousand now and an extra ten once we have the artifact."

Boz considered him for a moment. "Perhaps. But you will have to meet my boss personally. He does not like to be lied too. Even when the credits are good…" His voice trailed off as he noticed the red-haired human glancing in their direction. He squinted closer and recognized the man. He immediately became enraged. "Liar!"

He shoved Finn into the table, knocking the man over. The bar became quiet with the commotion, allowing Boz to speak for all to hear. "Reveal yourself, Skywalker! Do not hide behind others!" The mere mention of his name caused the entire bar to become tense.

Cade stepped forward. "Right here, Boz." He smiled, spreading his hands wide. "Didn't think you missed me that much."

The Twi'lek spat on the floor. "You cheated us, Skywalker." Finn recovered but remained on the floor. Rey continued to watch from her booth by the door. "You promised us payment for information against the Order. And what do we get in return? Weeks in a covert prison, being interrogated," he gestured to the scar along his tendril. "I got this from your friend, Kylo Ren."

"I'm sorry about what happened, truly I am." Cade was sincere, but the go-between was not impressed.

"You'll be sorry once I splatter you against the backsplash. The First Order has a bounty on you, yanno? Five million alive, one dead." With the mere mention of a bounty, others in the bar became interested and drew their blasters, followed by Boz and Cade. It was a standoff.

"Easy now," said Cade, not expecting the turn of events. "I'm sure we can work something. You've seen what the Order is capable of. Do you really want to work for them?"

Boz shook his head and smiled, approaching the spy closer. "I don't care what happens, as long as I get paid." He noticed the other bounty hunters. "As long as _we_ get paid," he clarified, smiling wickedly.

"Well since I can't convince you otherwise, it would seem we're at an impasse," he eyed the patrons of the bar and realized there was no easy way out of this. "I think I'll just see myself out."

"I don't think so Skywalker," said Boz, his voice full of menace. "Out to the veranda. _Now_. I want to enjoy this and the Hutts don't like to clean up messes with loyal businesses." He and his hidden companions focused their blasters on the man and herded him towards the archway leading out to the veranda.

Playing along to buy time to figure out a plan, he agreed. "Sure, no problem," he voiced impassively, holstering his blaster. They outnumbered him eight-to-one at the moment.

He eyed Rey and Finn cautiously, telling them to stay unseen with his eyes. The two said nothing, but as the bar returned to normalcy, they began to make their way out to the veranda as well. The patrons seemed to melt away, either not caring about what was to occur or not wanting to get involved.

As they herded Cade closer to the safety railing, Finn and Rey took up flanking positions behind the gangsters. Artoo chirped nervously behind Rey. "Just wait," she told the impatient droid. "He'll give us the signal."

Cade purposefully backed himself up against the safety railing, giving his assailants the feeling of complete control of the situation. "I can't convince you fine fellas to just let this all go, can I?" he asked ruefully, knowing the answer. He stroked his beard, indicating to Artoo that it was almost time.

"Get ready," Rey whispered. "And get into cover. Make sure you can follow us." The droid beeped responsively and moved off into position. She looked over to Finn and he began to follow suit, taking cover behind a table and drawing his blaster. She drew hers and waited, her trusty staff slung across her back.

"Don't try to weasel your way out of this. The Hutts always get what's theirs. One way, or another."

Cade knew he had run out of time, but he also knew exactly how to divert their attention for just a split second. He saw Rey and Finn were in position. He noticed the fountain on the veranda directly behind them. Reaching out in the Force, he saw the pipes supplying water to the decoration. In his mind's eye, he began to crush them, sending the water shooting up and sending a rain shower upon everyone out on the veranda.

Shocked, the assailants turned to see what this commotion was while patrons fled back into the bar. "Artoo, now!" Cade shouted over the noise. On top of the droid's domed head, a tiny panel opened. Sending a long metallic cylinder hurtling in the air, Cade reached out with the Force, grabbing it and bringing it into his hands. With a familiar snap-hiss, he ignited his lightsaber, it's blue-white blade shining bright in the eternal twilight of the undercity. His assailants turned around, half-stunned and half-excited. Jedi were worth twice as much. They rushed him. But he was ready.


	2. Chapter 2

Cade swung the lightsaber in a tight arc, deflecting the blaster bolts of the thugs surrounding him. He did so with ease and was able to cut one of his opponents across the mid-section, sending him crumpling to the ground. The others, while dismayed, were not intimidated and continued their attack. Clearly, they had dealt with much more dangerous opponents.

Behind them, Rey and Finn were taking shots at the underlings, dropping three of them to the ground easily and burning holes in their chests. From their cover, they could see the entirety of the veranda and provided excellent support for Cade. He advanced further with the lightsaber, hacking two of the guards with his blade.

Boz had begun to realize he was outmatched. He whistled and almost a dozen more thugs showed up, pouring blaster fire into the locations of the fleeing Rey and Finn.

"Get behind me!" shouted Cade over the chorus of blaster fire. Rey and Finn took up cover behind a flipped over table while Cade allowed the Force to flow through him. He saw the direction of the blaster bolts before they were fired, allowing him to deflect them back at his opponents. They quickly dove for cover but continued their voluminous fire.

Cade was able to eliminate one other thug before he too had to take cover behind an overturned table. R2 squealed beside him in obvious panic.

"He's right you know," shouted Finn as he shot off a couple quick shots. He didn't understand the language of droids like Rey and Cade but didn't need too. His tone was all that mattered. "We won't last here much longer."

Shutting down his lightsaber so as to not give the thugs a more precise target, Cade agreed. "I'm open to any and all suggestions."

Rey looked around the veranda for escape. They could not go back the way they had come, as that was simply suicide. Jumping over the railing was another possibility, but their transport would never be able to fit down the highway tubes of the Vertical City. They were beginning to run out of options when she looked to her left and saw an alleyway that would lead back into the main street.

"I think I found us an exit," she said gesturing with her blaster, then firing off a round and dropping another thug to the ground. The two men looked and nodded. They had a plan.

"Alright, R2 will create a distraction for us. Then you two run out with him. I'll catch up."

"I'm staying with you," said a determined Rey.

"We all leave together," chimed in Finn.

_Blast it_, thought Cade. Having friends was both a blessing and a curse.

"Alright fine. We go together," he looked over at the still frightened droid. "Show us what you got buddy."

R2 chirped an affirmative and rolled out of cover. He managed to dodge and weave through the fire, rolling out nearly ten feet in front of the trio in cover. Once there, he sprayed smoke at the thugs, causing their vision to be obscured. Thanks to the wind present from the traffic, the smoke soon engulfed the trio as well.

"Alright, let's run!" shouted Cade over the still firing blasters. While the thugs were firing blindly, he still did not want to take any chances. The three of them ran, with R2 in tow, down the alley and back into the main street.

The street was still busy, even though there had been a shootout not more than fifty meters away. The group ran through the brightly lit street, knocking over pedestrians and vendors alike. The thugs followed them almost immediately, firing blasters as they ran.

Pedestrians then took for cover, screaming and dropping to the street in order to avoid a blaster bolt. They peppered the street at the feet of their pursuers, attempting to herd them towards more friendly gang members. Cade knew they had to think fast if they wanted to get out of this.

He caught up with Finn and spoke to him, nearly yelling. "We need to split up! Take R2 and try to lose them in the Cluster Bazaar. The crowds there should work in your favor."

Finn nodded at his friend. "Right. I'll commlink you once we've lost them."

Finn turned around and tapped the astromech on his dome. He indicated the little droid should follow him at this next intersection. R2 released a series of dismayed beeps.

"Go with Finn. We'll catch up soon." The droid tweeted at him and did as he was told. At the next intersection, Cade and Rey went left. Finn and R2D2 went right.

The gang members were very clearly focused on Cade and most of them followed him and Rey. Only a handful pursued the other two.

Once they had realized it would be difficult to lose their pursuers, Rey had an idea. She led Cade down a series of winding alleys and broad streets, until they arrived at a densely packed and cramped residential area. Tents and structures of all kinds dotted this level of the undercity.

Rey grabbed Cade by the arm and swung him into a cramped alley that was covered by fabric of some kind, clearly a make-shift home for a single person. The space was barely four foot wide.

She opened the flap ever so slightly, observing Boz and his thugs becoming confused as to where their prey had run off too. Cade leaned forward and peaked out as well. The head thug was clearly angry, as he pointed and ordered his subordinates to begin searching in pairs. But it was in the opposite direction.

They remained on guard though, as armed residents were patrolling the street they looked out on. Some type of militia or some sort. It was clear they were looking for thieves and troublemakers, those who stood out. In their now muddy clothes, Rey and Cade blended in with the locals just fine.

Rey closed the flap, satisfied for the time-being. Cade, however, was clearly not. His hand was still resting on his lightsaber, looking out the small opening of the flap for any potential danger.

The space was so tight that the two of them were extremely close to one another, their faces almost touching. They were almost the same height, with Rey being an inch shorter than Cade, no more. She grabbed the hand that was still resting on the lightsaber. "It's alright, Cade. We're safe."

He nodded, allowing his hand to fall away from the weapon. She squeezed it. He smiled, albeit it, slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry," he told her. "Sometimes, I get a little too carried away."

She smiled in return. "That you do." It had only taken her this long to realize he had a gash on the side of his head, most likely from a blasterbolt ricochet he had deflected. "Here, let me help you," she said in a nurturing voice.

She retrieved the bacta pad from her satchel. She immediately went to work tending to the wound. Cade began talking, attempting to fill the silence with something.

"You still carry that thing, even after all this time?"

She did not look at him as she was applying the bacta. "I do. I've learned after many adventures with the two of you, one of you ends up getting hurt. Helps to be prepared."

"Mainly me," grinned Cade in reply.

She returned the grin and noticed that there was a splinter poking out as well. It was simple to retrieve the splinter. Using the Force as forceps, she removed the splinter. Cade only winced slightly as she did so.

"Oh, come now," she said, sounding like a doctor with a dramatic patient. "It can't hurt that much." He smiled again, diverting his eyes from hers once more. She finished and applied a white bandage she carried, flattening it against the side of his head to apply the adhesive. "There. All finished."

"Thank you," he said, hiding only a hint of embarrassment. "I would have been fine, you know."

"Perhaps," she said wryly. "But you would have complained about it for days after, and I need time for meditation, which requires silence from you."

He adopted a look of mock hurt. "Hey, I can be quiet when I want."

"Really? She asked him sardonically. "Then why weren't you quiet just now during our little moment?"

_Our little moment_, he asked himself. What did she mean by that? Surely, she wasn't implying what he thought she had meant. For the first time since entering the makeshift shelter, he looked her directly in the eyes.

They were the same hazel as before, but unlike in previous times when they were sparring partners or working on the _Falcon _together, they had a glint that shined brighter than he would have ever imagined. Although she had grown up in a harsh environment, she had a naiveite in her like no other for people, both those she knew and total strangers.

Cade had never seen another being so naïve, _no_, he corrected himself, _so kind_, in his life. He had wondered for some time how that had managed to stick after all her time alone. But that was a question he could not ask. Not yet, of course.

Cade decided he would take a chance. He started to lean towards her. She began to meet him. Their lips were a fraction of an inch from one another when suddenly, Cade's communicator started beeping. The two stopped, a frustrated look on both their faces. Cade reached down onto his belt and pulled the communicator off, pressing the talk button.

"Yeah, go ahead," he said, his voice neutral.

"You two okay?" asked a garbled, but clearly worried Finn. "You didn't report in. I thought the worst had happened."

"We're okay," Cade said into the communicator. "Just had to outrun some old friends first."

"Copy that," said Finn. "We'll meet at Rally Point Echo in say, an hour? R2 needs to recharge his batteries after that chase."

"Roger, sounds good. See you in a bit."

"Roger, out," said Finn, as he and R2 started for the rally point. Cade looked back at Rey, but realized her mood had changed completely, from one of kindness to one of annoyance.

"Come on," she said sternly, "We have to meet them there on time. We've got a distance to walk." She peered out the tent flaps, then quickly exited the narrow crevice.

"Rey, I-" was all he was able to vocalize before she was fifteen feet away from him, with the distance increasing. _Nice job Skywalker_, he said to himself. He sighed and jogged after her.

* * *

The two of them had finally linked up with Finn and R2 outside a local tavern after evading local street gangs. These streets were extremely barren, having been deeper into the undercity. This was where you went if you didn't want to be found. The four of them made their way inside the tavern to find it relatively empty. They scurried their way to an unoccupied booth. A broken-down serving droid approached them. Cade waved them off. When the droid persisted, he dropped a cred chip on the tray. The server unit rolled away.

"So, what's the play?" asked Finn, looking at all the major exits on their way in. He wanted to make sure if they did have any pursuers, they would be able to escape.

"We still need the artifact," stated Rey. "Even if that means breaking into their vault."

"And how do we go about that?" questioned the former stormtrooper turned hero. "They won't exactly allow us to walk in the front door."

"We won't be going in the front door," said Cade with a smirk.

"Oh?" asked Rey, curious as to how he was going to pull this off.

"I know a way into the vault. Get us in and out quick."

Rey was still skeptical. When Cade did not reveal anything more, she pushed her questioning further.

"How's that?"

"Through the sewers," he said, with less confidence on his face than before.

"I don't know about you two," Finn said, showing shock and a slight bit of fear on his face. "But I'm not wanting to wade through filth just to get this artifact." He looked at both Cade and Rey. "Just how important is this thing anyway?"

"Extremely important," the young Jedi said simultaneously, looking at one another incredulously.

"I'm not leaving the moon without it," said Cade firmly. It had clearly meant a lot to him, whatever exactly it was.

"Alright, fine," Finn conceded. "We can go through the sewers. But how will we take R2? He isn't exactly an inflatable raft."

R2 responded with an affronted sounding series of whistles. Cade hesitated before speaking. "You and R2 won't be going all the way. It's very narrow getting to the vault. I need someone to stick with him and guard the entrance."

Finn narrowed his eyes. "So it'll just be the _two of you_? Alone?"

Cade looked at Rey and smiled. "Yeah, I guess so. She's been through tight spaces before. I know where we're going. If we get in a scrap, we can fight them off together."

Feeling left out, Finn responded firmly. "And what happens if you can't? What happens if you get in a tight spot you can't get out of? Or captured? Or killed?"

Cade had not thought this part through yet until now. "Wait for two hours. If we aren't back, get out with R2 and find my father. He'll come for us."

Rey decided to add her thoughts to the conversation. "While I don't want it to come to that, I think this is the best plan possible." She looked at Finn. "You're the best shot with a blaster we've got. If you can watch our backs, we can get in fast."

Finn said nothing for a while, deliberating the plan over and over in his head. "Alright, let's do it," he said, now sounding confident. He looked over at R2. "I'll just need him as an extra set of eyes."

R2 squealed, beeping an affirmative that almost sounded like he was offended.

"We have to go a few levels up," said Cade. "But we can make good time. C'mon." The group began to make their way from the table and exited the tavern. They wouldn't have far to go, but they needed to move quickly. One did not spend more time on the Smuggler's Moon than necessary.

* * *

The trio approached the sewers slowly, not wanting to cause any unneeded attention. It was in an abandoned part of the city, but they all knew they had to keep their wits about them for any danger. Finn eyed the opening with suspicion as Cade pried the gate open.

"You sure this is going to work?"

Cade used the Force to lower the grate to the ground without causing a ruckus. "We're about to find out, aren't we?" He began to lower himself into the sewer below, but stopped, turning his head abruptly.

"What is it?" asked a curious Rey.

Cade had a disgusted look upon his face. "We'll have to breathe through our mouths if we want to get through this one," he looked back to a grinning Finn. "Remember, if we're not back in two hours, get out of here."

"Yeah, right." He watched as his two friends lowered themselves into the sewer. He unclipped the holster for his blaster and looked to R2. "Get those scanners of yours running. I don't want to be blind if we're about to be ambushed." The little droid beeped an affirmative, extending a sensor from the top of his domed head.

Below, Rey unbuckled her blaster and Cade lit his lightsaber, filling the sewer with bright blue light. She looked at him serendipitously, but he just shrugged. They began to make their way through the dirty and dank pipeline which would lead them to their ultimate destination.

Rey believed everything was going fine until she stepped in something that made an odd squishing sound. She told herself to not look down and continued forward. They soon came to a dead end with nowhere to go.

"I thought you said you knew the way in?" asked Rey.

"I do," said Cade, pointing to a crack in the nearby wall. "Stand back."

Cade used his lightsaber with precision to cut a hole in the wall, emitting a small opening a larger human might not have been able to fit through. Thankfully, they were both on the smaller side so they wouldn't have much trouble.

Deactivating the lightsaber, Cade gestured for Rey to go in first. "After you. You're probably better at sensing danger in tight spaces than me."

Although he could not see her smile in the darkness, he heard it in her voice. "You'd be right."

The two of them climbed into the crawlspace and began making their way to the vault on their hands and knees.

* * *

Pausing every so often to listen for possible threats, Rey led them further into the inner workings of the crime syndicate's base. The opening was incredibly tight. Although Rey was able to fit due to her slim figure, Cade was having trouble, with his shoulders being caught on the edges every few feet.

"Blast it," he breathed, relaxing his shoulders and attempting to inch forward. "You did this every day?" he asked to the figure in front of him, the strain beginning to show in his voice.

"Every day," she replied, feeling quite at home in the tight spaces, her staff acting as a probe in the little light in which they had. "I would often strip down parts in a space smaller than this before heading back to salvage."

He stopped and pondered her for a second, then shimmied his shoulders again and moved behind her.

"We shouldn't have too much farther to go," he called to Rey. "We should be approaching a crawl space—"

"I think I see it," said Rey, cutting him off and observing the space before them.

It was a continuation of the tunnel they had been crawling in, but she could see the green-tinted light which awaited them below. She braced herself in the opening and observed the vault was empty of all potential enemies. She dropped down from the opening and rolled to a landing. She looked back up and gave Cade the all-clear signal. He followed.

"Where to next?" asked an eager Rey.

Cade observed his surroundings before answering. Around them were shelves stacked high with items of varying importance. Some were simply sitting on the shelf; others were locked away in air-tight canisters. "If I remember right, it's this way." He pointed to his left and the two of them began walking in that direction.

Rey was clearly nervous as they slowly advanced through the vault. She had operated in tight spaces all her life, but for some reason, this one was different. Almost as if the space around her would collapse at any moment and she would be trapped forever. She pushed these thoughts away when Cade suddenly stopped at a sealed blastdoor.

"What is it?" she asked, whispering when she did not need too, as no one was around.

"This door is new," he responded. His voice was also hushed, giving into the absurdity of the moment as Rey had done. "I can't cut through it with my lightsaber." He looked down at the access panel and tried deciphering the possible combinations.

Rey watched as Cade pondered the device before gently pushing him aside and tearing off the back-access panel. She began splitting wires and splicing them together until she touched two of them together, unlocking the door.

Cade gave her a sullen look. "I was about to do that."

She smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Sure you were." She gestured for him to step into the next level of the vault and then followed him in. It was dimly lit as the outside chamber, but this one was filled with more translucent light.

Rey then realized Cade had stopped dead in his tracks a couple feet in front of him. Before them was the artifact which they had long sought: a Jedi holocron. But instead of it resting there on the dais, it was held in the hands of a scarred Twi'Lek.

"Hello Skywalker," Boz said. His voice was full of malice and contempt. Cade winced. "I've been waiting for you." In his other hand, Boz was holding a slender silver cylinder. He thumbed the small red button on its side, igniting the lightsaber and filling the room with the yellow light from its blade.

"Get behind me," said Cade as he stepped forward, igniting his own blade. It filled their side of the room with blue light, creating a weird divide of blue, yellow, and white.

"You didn't think I'd let you leave with this, did you?" the Twi'Lek shook his head. "You always were very foolish."

Cade ignored him and looked at Rey, who was observing the guards that had just entered the vault behind them, holding melee weapons and blasters. They had been cut off. Boz continued on with his arrogant speech. Cade spoke to Rey in a whisper, the Twi'Lek uninterested in their side conversation. "When I say now, reach out your hand."

Rey was standing in a combat readiness position, her staff in a defensive posture across her chest. "What are you thinking?"

He smiled at her again and winked. "Just trust me."

She remained ignorant of his plans until he quickly glanced at the holocron, then back to her.

"Oh," she said, embarrassed she hadn't seen it earlier. "Right."

Cade returned his attention to Boz like a casual Sabacc player and called across the room, cutting him off. "Yeah, I think we're gonna go now."

Before the Twi'Lek had time to respond, Cade reached out with the Force and plucked the holocron from his grasp, sending it hurtling towards Rey. "_Now_!" he screamed.

She reached out her hand with the Force and redirected the holocron into her satchel. It was over before any of the guards realized what had happened. Boz on the other hand, he was a different story.

He charged down the steps leading up to the dais and raised his blade into attack position. Following his lead, the guards advanced on Rey.

Cade and Rey formed a defensive front with their backs against one another. "Just like Bannistar Station, huh?" she asked him as their enemies advanced.

He shook his head, calming himself for the coming combat. "Don't remind me."

Boz and Cade locked weapons as Rey batted away her attackers. Neither knew how they would make it out of the vault alive.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Hey everyone! I know you've been waiting a long time for this one. With everything going on in the world (I lost my teaching job, which had me depressed for 2 weeks), I haven't had much motivation to write. With my part-time job now taking up all my time, it's been difficult, to say the least. I've recently tried getting back into it and I am going to get in the habit of trying to write at least 300 words a day to help move the story along and hopefully get back on track with releases. Plus, I've got something pretty cool coming down the pipeline. Hope you all enjoy!

-Vikesman100

* * *

Rey and Cade blocked numerous attacks by their advancing foes before realizing they could not withstand this strategy for long and leave with their heads still attached to their bodies. Rey sent a mental cue to Cade through the Force, which he picked up on almost instantly. He knew what she was suggesting.

Reaching out with the Force, Cade swung his lightsaber in tight precision, battering his opponent back toward the raised dais. Rey on the other hand, slashed with her staff in a downward motion, dazing her opponents for a short second. But that was all the time she needed.

She jammed one end of the weapon into the closest one's gut while sweeping upward with the other, breaking the other one's jaw and knocking him unconscious. The other attackers realized they would soon lose to these experts in close quarters combat and began firing blaster bolts at the two young Jedi.

Both Cade and Rey realized this, attempting to either dodge, or in the case of the one holding the lightsaber, deflect them. Cade was quick. Rey, while being agile without a lightsaber, unfortunately was not.

The one shot glanced off her exposed upper bicep, sending searing hot pain throughout Rey's body and resulted in her crashing into the deck. Cade felt her worry wash over him. She grimaced, and her opponents advanced.

Knowing they would either incapacitate or kill his friend, Cade became distressed and allowed his emotions to take hold of him. Pushing out with all his might, he threw the guards backwards with a mighty Force push, knocking the entire group of them out. Boz, meanwhile, had the fortitude to duck for cover after the young Jedi disengaged, sliding behind a nearby stone pillar unawares to Cade.

Forgetting about all other threats, Cade rushed to his friend's side.

"Are you hurt?" he asked her, panting from the sudden exertion.

She gritted her teeth and covered the wound with her hand. "It's not bad, just a graze."

He reached down to help her up when, suddenly, he heard a noise behind him. Boz had reignited the lightsaber and leaped at Cade, weapon held high.

Cade only had a fraction of a second to react. He reignited his blade and the force of the Twi'lek's attack sent him to his knee.

Cade then did something a Jedi should never do: He became enraged.

He got to his feet and began a relentless advance upon the lead gangster, slashing and stabbing in an attempt to weaken his guard. Boz attempted to resist but could not withstand the attacks of a skilled swordsmen and Force user.

Cade pushed him further and further toward the dais. He had forgotten what this had felt like. The rush of battle. Giving into rage. He had been told before he should never unhinge his emotions. But he didn't care. He only wanted to protect Rey.

Finally, the Twi'lek's guard gave out. He became weak and the blow Cade delivered knocked the lightsaber clean from his hands, sending it scattering across the room.

His opponent totally unarmed, Cade raised his weapon for the killing blow, but his mind warped reality and he was suddenly back on Jakku. Instead of watching Kylo Ren murder his former teacher, he was now the executioner, looking down upon the old and wizened man.

He paused and looked at his right hand. Seeing the flesh there, he knew what lay beneath: a robotic hand of wires and electricity. In that moment, something or someone spoke to him in a way he had never felt before. _Don't do this_, the voice whispered. It was quiet and unrecognizable to him. He considered what he was about to do and upon realizing one would be forever haunted for killing an unarmed being, he shut down the lightsaber.

Boz had since long retreated deeper into the fortress, finding a miracle in what would have otherwise been a swift execution. Rey watched as Cade stood there, his lightsaber still in his hand, motionless.

He returned to reality when Rey called out to him. "Cade," she said from across the room. "Are you alright?"

Shaking the odd feeling from his head, he turned and returned to her side. "Yeah, sorry."

He looked at her wound and realized it needed a bandage, and fast. Without hesitating or thinking, he took of his jacked and ripped off the one sleeve. He tore the lining out and fastened a quick bandage around the wound. He left the jacket on the floor.

She gave him a condescending look. "You know I had one in my bag, right?"

Helping her to her feet, he replied in a matter-of-fact sort of way. "Don't care. We need to get out of here, fast." Looking at her feet, he noticed the lightsaber had skidded there and bent down to pick it up. Testing it in his hands, he handed it to Rey.

Her eyes grew wide in amazement as she took the weapon. She nodded and the two ran out of the room, swiping a key card from one of the unconscious goons. Sooner or later, they would find a way out of here.

* * *

_Where are they_? Finn thought to himself as the time ticked by on his chronowatch. They were almost approaching the two-hour mark, but Finn could not bear to leave his friends behind. That was just something that wasn't a part of him. Not anymore.

His entire life he had trained to be a stormtrooper. Always moving, always advancing on your enemy. Not worrying about friends or whether he himself died. He was to do his duty. His training had made sure of that for the first two decades of his life. That was until he met Poe and Cade in the village on Jakku.

It was at that point that something in him clicked. He had wondered for a time if something was wrong with him when he disobeyed his orders, abandoned his post, and helped Poe rescue Cade. Amazingly though, that was the first time in his entire life when he felt free. When he felt like _himself_. He now knew it was his former brothers and sisters in arms who had something wrong with them. Not him.

He was brought back to reality when R2 beeped beside him. "What is it?" he asked the quirky droid.

R2 continued beeping at him, rocking back and forth on his support struts. He was either nervous or excited. Finn didn't speak droid, so the message remained a mystery.

It soon became abundantly clear.

A trio of mercenaries rounded the corner, surprised to see man and droid standing there.

Without hesitation, Finn reached for his blaster and shot two of them dead, leaving burning holes in their chests. The third fled without hesitation, grabbing for the commlink at his belt.

Finn sent multiple blaster bolts his way, but they all missed. He sighed and looked at the rotund astromech beside him. "Looks like they know we're here." He kept the blaster in his hand and moved out into the alley, ready for any more intruders. "C'mon. I've got a plan."

R2 tweeted a shaky affirmative, then began to follow Finn, voicing his concerns the whole time.

* * *

Rey and Cade slowly advanced through the elaborate fortress that lay before them. The caverns were dark and smelled of something rotting. What exactly that was, Cade could not discern from lack of any beings before them. They heard faint noises of what sounded like screaming. They had both mutually decided to steer away from that portion of the Hutt base.

Cade desperately wanted to ignite his lightsaber for some source of light but knew that would give them away in an instant. If they wanted to make it out of here alive, they would have to trust in the Force and let it guide them out. Cade just wished it wouldn't take so long.

Rey was in the lead due to her expertise in navigating dark corridors and quickly stopped, reaching her hand behind her to stop Cade in his tracks. He was directly behind her. She glanced at him, indicating for him to be quiet with her hand while peaking around the corridor to look at the reason she had stopped.

Nearly twenty meters down the T-hallway from them stood a squad of stormtroopers conversing with a small group of mercenaries loyal to the Hutts. The mercenaries held onto two canines who were clearly impatient, barking at the stormtroopers. Rey sensed that the troopers were slightly frightened by these creatures. Thankfully, they had not been spotted. Yet.

She turned around to look at Cade inquisitively. "The First Order and the Hutts are working together now?"

He peaked around the corner for a quick glance both ways. "Seems that way. That can only mean bad news for us." He looked at her once again. "You ready to get out of here?"

She nodded her head. "More than ever."

He nodded and gently brushed past her to take the lead. She did not know exactly what he was doing, but through their connection she could sense he was calm and determined.

He leaned around the corner and observed the very end of the hallway. He focused on that portion of the walls and reached out with the Force.

Gesturing in front him, Cade gently tapped the air. Rey was confused as to what he was doing. She then heard a noise at the far end of the hallway. The stormtroopers and mercenaries all turned in that direction, advancing on the unseen noise.

Cade looked back at Rey with a half-cocked grin. "See. It worked."

She smiled thinly and saw the way to their right was cleared. "For how long? I certainly don't intend to find out."

"Me either," he replied curtly. The two of them silently breezed down the hallway, careful not to disturb anything lying about that would give away their location. Eventually they reached a closed access hatch with a card-reader beside the door. Rey swiped the one she had procured from the guard earlier. She expected the door to swing open, but it did nothing.

She stood, staring dumbfounded at the reader, and tapped it with her hand, thinking it needed a refresh or even a reboot, trying again. But again. Nothing.

"Hey Rey," said Cade in a tense voice.

"I know. The door won't open. I'm working on it."

He grabbed her hand and began turning her around. "I'm not worried about the door."

She completed the rotation and realized that their adversaries had returned to their original position fifty meters down the hall. The two canines were silent. Uncomfortably silent. Then suddenly, they were released from their harnesses and sent hurtling towards them. The mercenaries and stormtroopers advanced at a jog behind them.

Cade ignited his lightsaber, filling their end of the hallway with bright blue light as laser bolts came roaring down the hall. He deflected them with ease. "We need outta here! Fast!"

"I'm trying!"

Cade deflected more bolts as the canines seemed to be getting faster. "I'm not trying to pressure you or anything but _try harder_!"

Rey fumbled with the wires on the panel, attempting to connect the correct ones in order to get a positive charge to flow through the device. She had done this thousands of times in her life. Why did this one seem any different?

The troopers began firing rapidly as they closed, and Cade began to have trouble deflecting all of them. A few bounced off the wall directly in front of Rey. The lightsaber was swinging faster each second and the canines were within striking distance.

"REY!"

She just needed one more wire and- "Got it!"

The door swooshed open. She pulled both herself and Cade inside as blaster bolts peppered the door from the other side.

She quickly activated her own lightsaber and disabled the panel box from their side of the door, prohibiting any entrance from their pursuers.

Cade was lying prone on the ground, looking up at her as she simply stared back at him. "What?" she asked him. "You try hotwiring a panel next time."

He said nothing and reached out his hand for her to assist him up. She brought him to his feet and the two of them jogged off.

* * *

Cade and Rey were beginning to worry. They had no idea where they were or, more importantly, how to escape. Cade had ascertained that there was a jammer somewhere in the base, as he could not reach Finn and R2. Rey had suggested they download the schematics, but Cade had shot that down. They couldn't risk leaving too obvious of a trail for their pursuers. That left them with only one option.

Trust their instincts and each another.

Rey had an innate sense of navigating their way forward, so Cade allowed her to take the lead. By the smells they were now experiencing, they realized they were getting closer to the densely populated streets of the undercity once more.

Cade, however, was much more adept at sensing approaching danger.

He yanked her into a small mechanic's space where the light had gone out and their scent would be hidden by the noxious fumes. They both held their breath as the canines were back and snooping around their most recent location. They did not sniff the ground like canines usually would. Instead, they merely poked their heads around in random patterns. Searching for something.

Clearly not satisfied in their tracking abilities, the mercenaries dragged them down the hallway, with barks coming from the beasts. The two of them waited a good minute before emerging from the shadows. Taking a deep breath of stale air, the two of them paused a minute.

"Those creatures, what are they?" asked Rey. "I felt them. They were—"

"Cold. And dangerous," Cade finished for her. "I think they're vornskrs. They hunt using the Force."

She looked at him dumbfounded. "Is that even possible? To track someone using the Force?"

He shook his head. "I have no idea. Those things are supposed to be myths. Created by Sith several millennia ago to hunt Jedi. Apparently, the Old Republic had rounded them all up. Placed them on a quarantined planet in the Unknown Regions and deleted all known data of their location, making it impossible to find them."

"Well, apparently they didn't do a good job of hiding them." Shaking the last of the fumes away from her brain, Rey motioned forward. "C'mon, I don't want to be around when they come back."

"Yeah," Cade replied, following her down the dark hallway. "That makes two of us."

* * *

Finn observed his surroundings and looked to R2 for a signal. The droid gave him a supporting trill. _Good_. No one was following them.

The former stormtrooper turned Republic freedom fighter turned the corner and approached the access door. Hidden away from the main street of this level, anyone passing by would brush it off as another door to a run-down apartment or an abandoned storage facility. But not everyone had a trusty astromech who could download blueprints from the city's central computer.

From R2's scan, this door led directly into the upper levels of the Hutt's loading dock. Workers could slip in and out unnoticed, carrying "desirable" items without anyone on the street knowing where they were going. It was the perfect hidey-hole - one Finn intended on breaching.

"Alright R2. Can you get us in?" he asked the rotund droid.

R2 rolled up to the door panel, plugging in and attempting to overwrite the computerized lock. His dome swiveled to face Finn, as if it was even a challenge to him. The door swooshed open, with R2 releasing an electronic snicker.

"Yeah, alright. You don't have to rub it in." He drew his blaster and stepped through the door. The low light setting of the hallway made it difficult to see, even with his trained eyes. The one time he wished he still had a stormtrooper helmet…

He brushed the thought aside and turned left. R2 followed behind. "Are you sure this is the quickest way to reach them?" he asked the now rolling astromech.

R2 beeped at him impassively, almost as if he didn't feel like explaining it again.

"Just asking," Finn said, becoming irritated. While Cade's droid was useful, he sure was unique. More so than any Finn had ever encountered throughout his life. His friend had told him R2 had been in their family for over fifty years, which was quite astounding. And would also explain Cade's attachment to the annoying little…

R2 suddenly began to squawk at him incessantly. "What is it?"

The little droid continued, until Finn heard footsteps. He quickly crouched into a maintenance hatchway as R2 followed him in. It was a tight squeeze. Finn shut the grate behind them, and just in time. Out of nowhere marched a squad of stormtroopers, their rifles held across their chests. He held his breath. He could hear their boots clanking on the floor below them as they strode to face the scarred Twi'lek he had dealt with earlier.

"We found no one. We've lost their trail."

The scarred alien simply stood there, looking for answers where none could be found. "They must still be here. We've been patrolling all the exits." He pulled a communicator from his belt and thumbed the on switch. "Take the men from the loading bay and send them to sublevel three. See if they somehow found the vehicle pool." He pocketed the device and returned to the troopers. "Join them in the search."

The troopers nodded and marched off. Finn let out a sigh as his pursuers vanished, along with the Twi'lek giving them orders. He didn't know how or why the Hutts and the First Order were working with one another.

After their short war a few years back, no one thought they would be tolerating one another, let alone working together. It was the last thing he expected. He had not finished his training in its entirety before the war ended and the details of the war itself were fuzzy to him. Something about convoy protection integrity. He only had second-hand reports from older troopers. The entire galaxy was changing, for the worse, Finn thought.

Once he was satisfied the coast was significantly clear, he and R2 exited the compartment. They began making their way deeper into the base when he felt a tingle at the base of his neck. Footsteps. His danger sense kicking into gear, he looked around for a hiding spot. He couldn't find one. He motioned R2 to his side and leaned against a wall encased in shadows.

Pulling his blaster and hoping to get a couple quick shots off before turning to run, he rounded the corner to find what he had not expected: his friends.

The trio became startled and R2 let loose a loud shriek which echoed throughout the hallway. Cade's startled expression soon turned grim, giving his friend and droid a look of disappointment. "I thought I said to get out of here if we didn't come back, not follow us in here."

Finn shrugged, "Sorry. You know how I am with obeying orders."

Cade shook his head. "Well, now that you're stuck with us, any idea on how to get out?"

Finn smiled wide at his friends. "Loading bay is empty. Overheard them sending patrols down to the sublevels. You two are quite the wanted fugitives."

Rey answered for the both of them. "Tell us something we don't know." She looked to R2. "Know the way out of here?"

He tweeted an affirmative and the trio followed the droid, careful to not make any more noise than they already had.

* * *

The three of them followed R2 as they made their way to the loading dock. Cade had told them it was a new addition since he had been an infiltrator here long ago, but it shouldn't be any different from what they had seen before. As R2 plugged into a wall socket to get them access, Finn fingered the commlink and annoyance crept over his face. "I still can't get a signal with this thing."

Rey gave him a reassuring look. "That shouldn't be a problem once we get out of here."

"I sure hope so."

R2 then made a chirping noise and the door swooshed open. Inside was the typical loading bay, complete with crates and small vehicles to load the heavy cargo. What they were not expecting was the opening at the far end.

What appeared to be a simple opening was in fact much larger: the loading bay connected to one of the large and cavernous vertical zones in the undercity. Hundreds, if not thousands, of small cargo carriers, speeders, swoop bikes, and freighters zoomed by the various levels that would eventually lead to the upper city.

Finn and Cade stepped out to the very edge of the loading dock and felt the stiff wind almost immediately. Cade gestured towards his friend, yelling over the noise. "Do you have a signal yet?"

"I do, but it's very faint! I'm not sure if it'll send!"

"Try anyway! It's our only shot outta here!"

Cade returned to the safety of the loading bay while Finn attempted to find the perfect signal to send it out to their allies. He returned momentarily to the shelter from the howling wind.

Rey began to feel a tingle at the base of her spine and turned to the door where they came from. Stormtroopers were now entering the bay, followed by mercenaries controlling the vornskrs. She waved at Finn for him to take cover behind a pallet of medical supplies, simultaneously grabbing Cade and pulling him down with her. R2 hid behind a closed crate.

"What is-" was all Cade had been able to vocalize before she clapped a hand over his mouth. With the other, she put a finger to her lips indicating he was to be quiet. Letting him go, she motioned for him to peek around the corner. He did not like what he observed.

Daring not to talk and instead mouthing his concerns, Cade asked the obvious. "How are we going to get out of this one?"

"I have no idea," she mouthed back. From behind his pallet, Finn mouthed the same concerns, with Cade telling him they were working on it.

Their plan would instead, be made for them.

"You have nowhere to hide," a new voice said, one they did not immediately recognize, but sounded familiar. "Surrender yourselves and what you have stolen. The First Order will treat you honorably." Finn recognized the voice as the various hodge-podge squads of stormtroopers and mercenaries began to search the loading bay.

"We won't surrender Phasma. Not to you."

Cade watched as the chrome-plated stormtrooper walked forward, as if to hear the conversation better, daring Finn to take a pot-shot at her. "FN-2187, is that you? I thought I recognized the stench of cowardice."

Brushing off the verbal remark and from the encouragement of his friends across the way, Finn continued the verbal sparring. "I have a name. Its Finn. I'm not some mindless drone anymore. I make my own choices now."

"A choice to die, perhaps. Your friends are wanted by the First Order. You, on the other hand, are a deserter and will be shot for treason."

"Treason?" Finn asked, almost surprised the First Order cared about him anymore. "A lowly sanitation worker like me would be charged with that? I hope I get a fair trial."

"Your instigations mean nothing. Make this easier on yourself and the scum you call friends."

Rey pointed at a low-hanging boxy mechanical unit and Cade winked at her, knowing exactly what he would do. He joined in the conversation now, throwing his voice with the Force to throw off their pursuers. "Hey! I take offense to that!"

"You are fools to think if you can hide forever," Phasma said coldly as the squads advanced further. "It is only a matter of time before we-"

Phasma never finished her sentence. Rey jumped out in front of their pursuers and they came rushing towards her. Cade then stood up, ignited his lightsaber, and threw it at the cable.

It was sliced to perfection, sending the mechanical unit crashing down on their foes. The rest, albeit, severely weakened and surprised thugs, opened fire on Rey. She ignited her own lightsaber and deflected the bolts away. Finn opened up with his blaster and Cade recalled his lightsaber to his hand, joining the fray.

The mercenaries holding the vornskrs unleashed them onto the lightsaber wielding opponents. They dove for Cade and hit him hard, driving his body into the floor. He tried to escape, but it was no use. They were tightly latched on to both his arms, clawing and biting their way through his defenses.

Rey sensed his danger and advanced on the vornskrs, spinning her lightsaber in a fast-circular motion. One of the vornskrs was alerted to this and charged, leaping through the air to attack her.

At the last possible moment once the vornskr had launched itself at her, she changed her defensive posture and slashed the beast in two. Its top half squealed in pain and flopped to the deck, motionless.

Finn continued to fire as more stormtroopers entered the loading bay. Soon they would be overwhelmed and compelled to surrender, which was something he could not allow. He advanced, firing rapid shots at the assailants around his friends. He had to save them.

Cade was able to push the other beast off him using the Force, sending it hurtling against the far wall, knocking it unconscious. Rey ran to him and kneeled as the mercenaries opened fire on them, peppering the wall with blaster fire.

She held her hand out to him and he took it, wincing in pain as he did so. His unprotected forearms looked as if they had been through a meat grinder. The vornskrs had dug in deep. Fortunately, he was not losing a lot of blood and could be easily fixed. The two of them ran closer to the open bay door, skidding and crouching behind the crate with R2 and Finn beside them.

"We're," he fired blindly over the crate, "running out of time!"

Phasma ordered her squad of troopers to advance, each providing the other with covering fire. Neither Rey nor Cade could get a shot off, unless they wanted a fresh laser burn. Finn pulled out the communicator and desperately called for rescue. For all his efforts, it seemed as if they would die on the edge of a loading dock.

Just when all hope seemed lost, the three of them heard a tremendous roar from the vertical canyon just beyond them, one that transcended the noise of the traffic. Inside the loading bay, crates were blown to bits by a ship's laser cannon. Stormtroopers and thugs alike were flung like toys across the bay.

The three of them looked up to find their savior: it was the _Millennium Falcon_! It was hovering right above the edge of the platform with the ramp extended. Standing at the edge was their valiant pilot, Poe Dameron, his thick black hair flapping in the wind. He fired a couple of quick successive shots at unseen targets.

"C'mon people! This rescue ain't gonna last long if we're blown to bits!"

Dodging fire and watching the ramp close behind them, they climbed aboard the _Falcon_ and blasted away from the undercity, leaving their foes behind. "Took you long enough!" shouted Rey as they made their way to the cockpit.

"Yeah, well Chewie and I ran into some _difficulties_ at the landing pad." Finn and Cade made their way to the turret spine, one going up, one going down. R2 went to the central computer hub.

Rey and Poe made their way to the cockpit where they found the mighty Wookiee Chewbacca piloting the ship. He gruffed at Poe and made a short barking noise. "Go and fix it then! We've got this covered." The mighty brute stood up and allowed the two expert pilots to take control.

They both went for the pilot's seat and said simultaneously, "I'm the better pilot." They stared at each other for a long moment before Poe broke. "You're the better pilot." He settled in at the co-pilot's seat and Rey assumed the duties of the pilot.

She flipped the accelerator and the engines boomed, sending the ship hurtling for the upper city, leaving their adversaries behind.

Watching the ship fly away but pursued by Hutt fighters, Phasma pulled the small holocommunicator from her belt. She thumbed the activation and a figure in grey appeared in miniature form before her.

"They're fleeing the city now, General."

Hux's face was hard and his stare emotionless. "Return to the ship at once. Kylo Ren wishes to speak with the Hutts. _Alone_."

She acknowledged and closed the communicator, wondering why the Supreme Leader's dark enforcer would be gracing the criminal scum with his presence.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I've already started writing the next chapter and hope to have it posted on here soon! I've started creating OC for myself and got distracted by that (wrote like 20k in 3 days), sorry everyone! I will try to post here more often!

May the Force be with you!

~Vikesman100

* * *

The _Millennium Falcon_ bobbed and weaved through the oncoming traffic as it broke for the Upper City, pursued by Hutt fighter craft. The Hutts were beginning to be well funded, as Cade noticed the ships following them were of the _Vigilance-class_ starfighter line. It was a prototype, and had not yet entered mass production. Made up of an elongated cockpit and two sleek wings, the powerful heavy laser cannons protruded from the wings, allowing it to slice easily through the air behind them.

"Hutt fighters incoming!" he said, attaching his comm set to his head to communicate with the other members of the ship. "Three of them coming in at point oh-seven!"

"I see them," stated Finn confidently as he blasted the wings off the one, sending debris hurtling down the vertical tube. "Ooooo, that's gotta hurt!"

He smiled at his friend's remarks. "Easy there, don't get cocky." He refocused his attention to their pursuers, his shots missing and slamming into the concrete wall that made up the vertical tube.

Suddenly, their viewport changed from one of relative darkness to many bright lights. They had made it topside, with sunlight beaming and reflecting off the various towers of the Upper City.

In the cockpit, Rey confidently controlled the ship through various mid-air traffic stops and slower moving transport ships. While the _Falcon_ was much larger than these vessels, she easily maneuvered the craft through spaces that surprised even Poe. "How the Hell are you doing that?" he asked incredulously. His orange and white ball-shaped droid, BB-8, who was also in the cockpit, let out a startled shriek. "We should be dead right now!"

She allowed herself a glance in his direction and smiled, "I told you. I'm the better pilot."

The two of them were brought back to the situation at hand when a new ship came hurtling at them: A First Order TIE fighter. Rey pulled up hard on the control yoke, sending the _Falcon_ into a steep climb and avoiding acollision. One of their pursuers was not so lucky, crashing directly into the TIE.

"What's going on up there?" asked Cade, his voice sounding garbled as it came over the comm system. "Trying to get us killed?"

"We've got First Order forces coming in at point three-three-five." Announced Poe. "And oh-five-two. Scratch that, make it multiple directions."

Rey flipped a switch beside her, boosting power to the engines. "Hang on, everyone! We're taking a detour."

"What are you do-" was all Poe could ask before being thrown back into his seat as the _Falcon_ gunned forward and looped around a residential tower, leaving their pursuers behind. Once their speed came down and their pursuers attempted to catch back up, Poe looked over at Rey. "Did you have to do that?"

"This ship has a couple of surprises left." She banked the freighter, dodging more traffic. An alert began to ring beside her head.

"That's not good," said Poe, punching calculations into the onboard computer.

"What is it?" she asked.

"First Order is sending a full squadron at us. Coming in at eighty degrees."

"Is there something we need to know?" asked Cade from over the comm system. "I'd rather not be a sitting duck down here!"

Rey began flipping switches on the _Falcon's_ power distribution system, coming up with a plan on the fly, proximity alarms sounding off. "I'm redirecting all power to the engines and deflector shields. Finn, help Chewie. Cade, I need you up here."

"Copy that, already on our way." Finn climbed down first, running to the engineering bay where the Wookiee was attempting to repair a glowing panel. He yelled at Finn, slamming into him as the ship took a blaster bolt. "Alright Chewie, alright! Just tell me what to do." Chewbacca began relaying instructions to Finn as the two of them got to work. He did not completely understand the language, but he got the gist of it. Find that, hold this, fix that. Simple.

Cade ran into the cockpit, standing between the pilot and co-pilots' chairs. BB-8 squealed at him as another laser blast rocked the ship. He braced himself using the headrests. "What do you need from me?" he asked, worried about their current state-of-affairs.

Without looking back at him, Rey gave him instructions. "I need you beside me. As co-pilot." She looked at the current co-pilot. "Poe, go back and help Chewie." She acknowledged his question from earlier. "It's the hyperdrive ventilator, isn't it? That's why you were so angry? If that's not fixed, we'll sink like a rock when we try to go to light speed."

"Yeah, and I know how to fix it." He vacated his seat, indicating for Cade to sit down. "Here. I'm no use up here for what she's got planned anyway." He jogged off to join the others, BB-8 following him. R2 rolled into the cockpit after they left, eliciting an electronic scream.

"Cade, I need you to fly the ship with me."

"Whoa, whoa," the man said, throwing up his hands in defeat. "I can't fly a ship. I've always been terrible at it."

Becoming irritated with him, she changed her tone of voice. "We don't have time for this. We'll use the Force, together, to pilot the ship out of the city. It's the only way we can lose those fighters."

He sat there for a moment, not sure if he could actually do it. He decided he would rather find out than wait for them to be blown to oblivion. He settled into the co-pilot's chair and calmed himself. The two of them centered themselves, focusing on the ship, the controls, the buildings around them, and other vehicles.

They felt it all. The life of Nar Shaddaa. Its ebbs and flows. Their breathing slowed and Rey's hands went instinctively for the controls. She moved the _Falcon_ gracefully through the crowded sky lanes, with Cade assisting when turning was needed. They worked together as one, sending the ship in a series of turns, twists, and maneuvers that would make even the most skilled of pilots jealous.

In the engineering bay, Finn noticed they were no longer being shot. "Whatever those two are doing, keep it up!" he shouted. The two in the cockpit did not hear him, as they were intensely focused on flying the ship. They were coming up on a tight cluster of towers when suddenly, a blaster bolt disrupted their concentration.

Three TIE fighters swarmed around them, each one taking a turn buzzing the fast-moving freighter. Cade became worried and looked back at R2. "Plot us a jump outta here; we may need it fast once we break atmosphere."

The droid tweeted an affirmative, rolling over to the navigation computer as the ship descended higher from the planet's surface. As they rose, the skylanes became packed with larger vessels, making it somewhat easier to maneuver. Rey punched the acceleration again, sending them far away from their foes, looping around an old refurbished frigate.

Only this time, however, the First Order had a plan to stop them. As the _Falcon_ broke for the stars, three Star Destroyers jumped out of hyperspace, with a fourth one coming from behind.

"Whoa!" shouted Cade, alarmed. "Where'd he come from? Didn't know they wanted us this badly!"

"This isn't good. They'll have their tractor beams on us in less than a minute." Rey thumbed the intercom switch with one hand while the other remained on the yoke, maneuvering through the incoming enemy fire. "Is the ventilator fixed?"

"She'll hold together," yelled Poe over rising steam and a frustrated Wookiee. "But after two or three jumps, we might be splattered across Hutt Space."

Cade looked back at R2 as Rey positioned the ship between the two approaching enemy destroyers. The droid shrieked anxiously. "It's now or never, Rey."

Hoping it would work, she grabbed the hyperdrive lever, pushing it forward. The ship hesitated for a second, but then accelerated rapidly. They were soon surrounded by elongated star lines as the ship made the entrance into hyperspace. The two jedi in the cockpit relaxed into the backs of their chairs, breathing a collective sigh of relief as the immediate danger had passed. No lights were blinking to indicate they were being followed. They had made a clean getaway.

"We did it!" They screamed together. The two of them were so excited, they jumped from their seats, embracing one another. When Cade pulled her in, he felt a tinge of joy creep up from somewhere deep inside himself. He looked her in the eyes and knew the moment was right. He kissed her and she did not pull away. For a moment, nothing else existed but the two of them. They were truly one.

A sound outside the cockpit startled them back to reality. Finn was standing there, along with R2, looking uncomfortable as ever. "I hope I'm not interrupting, but we've got a call on the holo. It's Leia."

Still holding Rey, Cade acknowledged. "Of course, we'll be right there." Rey exited the cockpit first, making way for the longue. As Cade exited the cockpit, Finn gave him a smirk. The Jedi's voice was filled with embarrassment when he addressed his friend. "Not a word from you."

"What?" Finn asked, stifling laughter. "I didn't say anything."

Shaking his head, R2 and Finn followed him into the longue. Chewie and Poe were seated around the dejarik table while Rey was seated at the engineer's station. BB-8 squawked at them to hurry up. Once they were all gathered, the small and ball-like droid opened up the secure channel and displayed Leia in holoimage form.

Still beautiful while in her middle-aged years, Leia wore a simple robe commonly worn by senatorial staff. They could not tell the color, as the holo was in the typical blue transmission form. Even as chancellor, she had decided she would throw away tradition and not wear the robes of the executive, stating it did the Republic no good to create different echelons of individuals when they needed to be united. Her staff was furious, but she did not care. She had a war to win.

"So," she asked her nephew. "I take it by the bandage on your forehead that the Nar Shaddaa mission was interesting?" A broad smile encapsulated her kind visage.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it was. We retrieved the holocron and are en route back to the fleet as we speak." He left his words hang there for a moment, confused. "But that's not why you've called, is it?"

Leia hesitated before speaking. "I'm afraid it's not. The fleet has been forced to retreat since our last transmission." She gestured at an aide out of view. "I'm sending you the new coordinates now."

Poe walked over to join Rey at the engineer's station and gasped. "No, that's not possible." He looked at the coordinates. "The Tregillis sector? I thought we still held the Mid Rim?"

"We've lost the Southern Mid Rim about a week ago and were forced to retreat. You've been gone a while, Commander Dameron. Much has changed since we last spoke." She paused, allowing the others to take in her words. "Admiral Ackbar and I will catch you up to speed once you arrive. May the Force be with you." With that, the transmission was cut and the longue was silent.

"If they've lost the Mid Rim," Poe speculated, "That means the First Order took Malastare."

"And the Republic just lost its biggest supplier of hyperfuel." Finn finished for him.

"Want to know who the next biggest supplier is?" asked the hot-shot pilot rhetorically.

"The Bothans," said Cade with a hint of disgust. "This war is about to get much more interesting."

"Why's that?" asked Rey, still confused. While she had learned a lot on adventures with Cade and Finn recently, she was still very new to the whole galactic stage. She knew its players, but not their importance.

"The Bothans," Cade started, "were heavily involved in the last war, providing the Rebel Alliance with vital intelligence about the Empire. They even had a candidate run for chancellor that almost beat Mon Mothma. But about ten years ago, they 'absorbed' some of their surrounding systems to govern directly. The Senate being paranoid, denounced them heavily."

Chewie growled aggressively from where he was seated at the dejarik table. "Exactly, Chewie. The Bothans are deceitful and always working on some kind of scheme. Instead of giving back what they took, they seceded from the Republic and began building up their fleet." Cade shook his head. "That corner of the galaxy hasn't been the same since.

Poe reminisced of old times. "I remember those days, back when I was a hot-headed ensign. I wanted to take an X-wing and blow up Fey'lya's palace myself."

"People cried out in fear, calling them the second iteration of the Empire." Cade chuckled and looked down at his feet. "Little did they know…"

"Okay," said Finn, now curious as well. "What does that all mean though? For us, the Republic?"

"It means we're going to have to beg and barter for them to either help us or rejoin the Republic."

"Which if you've ever met Borsk Fey'lya," Poe interjected, "is going to be extremely frustrating and maddening." Borsk Fey'lya was the first and only president of the Bothan Union, a staunch opponent of Leia Organa's chancellorship since the Hosnian Crisis, or so galactic news had said.

"I'm sure Leia has got her hands full at the moment." Said Cade. He looked to Rey. "How long until we're there?"

She looked at the coordinates given to them. "I'd say, twelve, fourteen hours at most. I'm going to take a look at that ventilator in the meantime. Chewie, could you help me?"

The Wookiee grumbled an affirmative and followed the pilot back to the engineering bay, leaving the three men and the droids in the longue.

"I had better check to make sure we aren't being followed. I'll be back." Finn and Cade watched as he left for the cockpit, accompanied by BB-8.

Finn looked at his friend. "So," he asked ruefully. "You and Rey."

Cade pointed at the man, half-playfully, half-serious. "Not another word." R2 released an electronic snicker. Cade gave the droid a look.

"Beat me in dejarik and we've got a deal." Replied Finn.

Cade smiled. "Oh, this is going to be easy." The two passed the time with nothing better to do as the _Millennium Falcon_ hurtled towards its destination through hyperspace.

* * *

Boz usually loved this part of the job. Greeting dignitaries who wished to pay his master respect was one thing. But greeting the enforcer of the First Order? That was something entirely different.

He stood on the landing pad of his master's palace on the upper levels of Vertical City awaiting to receive their guest. A black shuttle came into view, looking like a giant deadly bird. Flanking it was a trio of TIE fighters. As the shuttle landed, the fighters swerved away, going back to their sortie to await further instructions.

The twi'lek was led to believe the enforcer would be escorted by an honor guard of either elite forces or stormtroopers. The surprise on his face showed as the cloaked figure emerged from the shuttle alone. He did not possess the face of a man, but instead wore a black helmet that evoked fear in all that saw it. His robes were a similar black, a hood pulled over to hide the extent of the helmet.

Boz gulped and approached the man. "Master Ren, it is a pleasure to meet you. If you would follow me, my master has prepared a feast in your honor."

"I have no time for celebration," said the dark countenance of Kylo Ren. "Take me to the Hutt. _Now_."

"My master has made it abundantly clear he is not to be disturbed while he prepares for your arrival-"

"I do not care for your orders." His voice was full of malice and controlled rage. "Take me to him immediately or I will find him myself."

Boz was suddenly overcome with intense fear. "I-I don't-" he thought his next sentence very carefully, deciding he would rather have a head over being thrown in the dungeons. "Right this way."

Kylo Ren followed the twi'lek farther into the palace, passing rooms full of opulence and pleasure. He ignored it all and focused in on his overly gracious host.

His host being Rotta the Hutt, son of the legendary Jabba the Hutt. In another lifetime, so long ago, Ben Solo's parents had been a part of the crime boss' defeat in the Dune Sea on Tatooine. If his son knew of this, he would never have agreed to meet with the man. But the less he knew, the better.

Rotta's throne room was not large, but it was still quite impressive. It alone was larger than any mansion on a backwater world. Purple satin was thrown everywhere, as if recklessly without care. Works of art from across the galaxy were hung on the walls. Large windows granting view to the cityscape below occupied the eastern wall. Gamorrean guards flanked the young crime boss on both sides, as well as in the back. Members of his court milled around, talking in circles, or discussing politics. Armed guards patrolled the rest of the room.

While the worm-like species seemed disgusting to humans, Rotta was different. He wore a business tunic on the top half of his body, with no slime in sight. As they entered the room, Rotta glared at his servant, who said nothing and cowered in the shadows, leaving Ren standing before him. "So," he said in Galactic Basic to the cloaked man, not in his native Huttese tongue, "You have refused the feast I have prepared. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I want to know what the Jedi were doing here on Nar Shaddaa."

The hutt stared at the man. "Straight to business, then. I can respect that. They were here for an artifact."

"What artifact?" the man in black asked.

"A Jedi artifact." He paused, moving over to a drink tray and pouring himself a large portion. He motioned to see if his guest wanted one, but the masked man did not move a muscle, following him with a blank stare. "A holocron, to be precise."

"I need to know what was on that holocron."

"I'm afraid that information is not available at this time." Rotta smiled thinly. "Perhaps your master could provide more of the, what do you call them? Vronskrs? Beautiful beasts. When my men took them to collect debts, my associates paid two additional installments. Remarkably effective. With your help, I will be ruling this city in no time."

"I'm not here to negotiate," stated Ren simply. "Give me what I've come for, and I will leave you unharmed."

"Are you threatening me?" asked Rotta, his sense of decorum disappearing. "That would be most unwise, my friend." Ren said nothing, continuing to stare at the slug. "Now, if we are to continue the glorious partnership between us, I need certain-" he stopped, noticing the door to his throne room beginning to close. "Boz, find out what is happening to that door at once. Now, where was I? Oh yes. If we are to continue this partnership, I need certain guarantees that the First Order will not-" he glared at his servant clearly having trouble with operating the door. "Why hasn't it been fixed yet?"

"Master, the door, it's—it's not responding."

"You fool, call maintenance at once."

"They won't save you." Stated Kylo Ren. "I'm asking one last time. Give me what I have come for, or I will take it."

"You will take it?" Rotta laughed heartily, his members of the court doing the same. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

Ren just stared at the hutt, Rotta becoming quite unsettled. "Guards," he motioned for the two gamorreans flanking him. "Take this creature to a cell. Perhaps his master and I can have a more civilized discussion."

But the two guards around him would not move. Almost as if they were frozen there. Rotta looked on in horror as the masked man ignited his crimson lightsaber and cut down the two guards with ease. Courtiers screamed, searching for a way out of the throne room. As the others approached him, he easily dodged their attacks and used the Force to crush their windpipes. They collapsed to the floor. The others rushed him at once, but he simply flicked them out the windows, sending them hurtling hundreds of feet to their deaths.

"What are you hoping to accomplish here?" demanded Rotta. "_Stop! I demand you!_"

"You no longer make demands, Hutt. You serve the First Order." The guards armed with blasters advanced on Ren. He blocked their bolts back at them, slicing the ones who dared approach him in half. Their bodies crumpled to the floor.

"I will never serve-" But he could say no more, for fear overtook him. Ren's lightsaber rested mere inches from his face.

"Tell me what was on the holocron. _NOW_."

Clearly afraid for his own safety, Rotta caved. "FINE! It had teachings on it! I led the Jedi to believe it was from the Old Republic era, but it was recently made."

"Made by whom?"

"Skywalker. Mara Jade Skywalker! I couldn't access it, but I knew she was the one who made it. It had to be her. It had her markings on it, I'd know them anywhere. That's all I know. Now leave!"

"I appreciate your understanding." Ren made a motion to remove the blade from the hutt's throat, but instead sliced clean through the fatty husk. The former crime boss's body went limp. Courtiers screamed in agony as the murderous monster stood before them. Ren deactivated his lightsaber and with a flick of his hand, the door out of the chamber opened. He stopped to stare at Boz for a moment, only to leave the servant cowering in fear. He had made his point. He left the palace with no further difficulties.

On his way back to the shuttle, Ren thumbed his personal holocommunicator to life. On it appeared a miniature version of General Hux. "What is it, Ren?" the man asked, clearly annoyed to be bothered by the dark warrior.

"The Jedi came here for a holocron. Were your forces successful in planting the tracking beacon on board their vessel?"

"Yes, Ren. It was placed while we distracted their pilot and the brute. They foolishly believed it was a maintenance error. It will take them long to find it. We are already pinpointing their location now."

"Good. Prepare the fleet. We leave on my return." Hux said nothing but cut the transmission. He knew, for the time being, that he would have to work with the man if he wanted to stay alive. He only had to hold out until either Ren was killed, or he himself was disposed of.

* * *

Everyone onboard the _Millennium Falcon_ was doing something to occupy the time spent in hyperspace. Poe and Chewie were in the cockpit, monitoring vital systems after their scrap on the Smuggler's Moon. Finn was busy cleaning the weapons they had stashed in the main hold, a habit he said he had picked up long ago. Cade was training against a remote there, the two of them talking like nothing was wrong in the galaxy.

Since the death of Han Solo had left the ownership of the ship solely in the hands of the mighty Wookiee Chewbacca, he had decided to make it a mobile base for both Rey and Cade in their missions as Jedi. Effectively, he had made them co-captains of the vessel he loved dearly. Because they were usually accompanied by droids on these missions, whether it be a rescue mission on Naboo or smuggling supplies to defenders in the Western Reaches, they had turned the forward cargo hold into a charging station for them, since they too needed power to function.

Rey had insisted on installing a workbench in the unused space, much to the chagrin of Cade. She had told them she could make usable parts which they could sell for various things they might need. While the Republic usually provided what they needed on their adventures, it was something she could truly call her own. And usually turned her a decently sized profit she could then put back into the _Falcon_. Something that made Chewie extremely happy. Cade had even used it once or twice to upgrade R2's sensors.

Done with his training for the time-being, Cade wiped the sweat from his forehead and ventured into the workshop. Here he found Rey, bent over the workbench with R2 and BB-8 close beside her, wondering what exactly it was that she was working on. Cade decided to voice their query.

"Whatcha working on there?" he said after a moment of her not sensing his presence. He waited a few seconds, and there was no response. He asked again, only to realize she was not paying him any attention. Deciding not to scare her like he had done before while she was working on something, he decided he would walk over to the silver and blue astromech who was his friend since childhood. He placed a hand on his domed head and coughed ever so delicately.

"I knew you were there. Was waiting to see if you would frighten me or not."

Cade smiled again. "I know you don't like that, so I don't do it anymore. I learned my lesson last time with you pushing me out the door."

Not looking up from her work, she responded with a tone of kindness. "Thank you."

He moved closer to see what she was doing, noticing the parts of the lightsaber they had retrieved from the vault on Nar Shaddaa. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked in disbelief.

"It is indeed. I'm almost finished." She was using a welding gun and electrical tape to complete her project. "There," she said, lifting the welding goggles off her face and setting them down on the workbench. They left a distinctive ring of cleanliness around her eyes from the welding.

In her hands, she held her lightsaber. She had not realized the fact she wanted one so badly over the last few months. She had tried finding one for quite some time, but the ones she had found, the crystals were shattered from the unskilled craftsmen taking them apart or they had simply turned to dust because of disregard. She motioned for Cade to step back, which he did, allowing her to ignite her saber.

A mixture of the black metal of her staff and the alloy of the old lightsaber, she had successfully combined the two together and created a double-bladed lightsaber. Although her staff was much shorter now, she would still be able to carry her weapon with a sling over her back. She twirled the weapon around in her hands, illuminating the room in yellow, showing her accomplishment off to Cade.

"Wow," he said with wonder, as she deactivated the blade, "It's amazing." He adopted a teasing tone. "Now you won't have to borrow mine when we train with my father."

Her mood shifted from pure joy to one of uneasiness. "Do you think he'll mind? He always said it was an important ending of a Jedi's training to make their own lightsaber when they've earned it."

He batted away her worries with his own thoughts on the matter. "I think you and I have been through more than any normal Jedi's training. Besides," he gestured down at the lightsaber hanging from his belt. "I didn't make mine."

"But you were a Jedi for years before," she countered, biting her lower lip in nervousness.

"And you've already surpassed me in skill!" he moved in closer, holding her dirty hands in his, not caring that his were also dirtied. "In case you haven't noticed, we're far from normal Jedi."

She looked into his kind blue eyes, smiling at him. "I suppose you're right." Just then, the proximity alarm rang throughout the ship. Poe came over the intercom. "Alright people, we're coming up to the fleet now. Better get up here." The two of them left the forward hold, making their way to the cockpit. Rey grabbed a rag to wipe off her hands and face on their short trip.

They found the three of them already in the cockpit Poe and Chewie were seated in the two pilot's chairs, with Finn behind the Wookiee. Rey sat down behind Poe, with Cade standing in the back. "Alright Chewie, pull the lever."

The blue tube of hyperspace disappeared, turning into elongated star lines once more, revealing the black nothingness of space, with a small blue dot far off in the distance. The small blue dot was an ocean world, Tregillis, possessing no land masses or any sentient life. Its moon had become a secret base in the days of the Rebel Alliance, acting as a staging ground for raids on the Rimma Trade Route. The New Republic had turned it into a small starfighter base to protect the very shipping lanes they used to harass. Except the vessels now around the planet were not a small force by any means.

Gathered around the planet and surrounding moon was the main Republic fleet. While a large portion of its strength was destroyed in the attack on Hosnian Prime and resulting Battle of Starkiller Base, reinforcements were quickly drawn from across the galaxy. Once the Republic knew their enemy, they once again opened the shipyards of Corellia, Kuat, and Mon Calamari to their fullest potential, switching production from civilian vessels to military ones.

Although Finn had officially been commissioned as a first lieutenant with the Republic Strategic Information Services and was inundated with war, he still marveled at the military might around them as they approached. "I've never seen some of these ships before," he said, staring wide-eyed out the viewport. "Is that a Star Destroyer? "he asked, pointing to a ship nestled in between two transports.

"Yeah, it's an _Imperial-class_, probably a leftover from the days of the Empire," replied Poe wearily. He maneuvered the Falcon slowly under a picket ship, already transmitting his clearance codes. "Shows you how desperate we are if we have to get ships out of dry dock to fight for us. They even painted orange markings on it to help distinguish it from the Order's Destroyers."

Chewie looked over at him and muffed a response. "I know they're still effective! Just a little old, is all." Chewie did not like that comment at all and growled. "Hey!" stated Poe defensively. "I wasn't calling you old."

"Chewie gets a little sensitive about stuff like that," said Cade from the back of the cockpit. "Best not to mention the age of things around him." Poe stared at him, then looked at Chewie, the Wookiee giving him a harsh stare.

"Alright message received." He thumbed the communication nodule on the dashboard. "This is _Millennium Falcon_ to _Home One_. Requesting permission to land, over."

Static over the comm, then a response. "_Millennium Falcon_, the Admiral is no longer on _Home One_. He has transferred his flag to the _Admiral Raddus_. Adjust course by point one-one-seven and proceed to hangar twelve, over."

"Copy _Home One_. Thanks for the heads up." He looked around to his companions. "I didn't know the fleet had a ship with that name."

"I think that," Finn said, pointing his finger to a completely new ship, "is the _Admiral Raddus_."

The _Admiral Raddus_, as it turns out, was not a new ship, but recently renamed. _The Dawn of Tranquilty_ came fresh off the line from the joint Mon Cala Manufacturing and Corellian Engineering venture to join the fleet mere days ago. It still had it's original name pained on the side, Cade noticed.

One of the largest ships ever produced by the New Republic, it was to act as the end-all, be-all to carriers in the Republic Navy. Designed both carry fighters and go toe-to-toe with the hidden dreadnoughts of the First Order, the _Admiral Raddus_ still possessed the lumpy shape of the previous Mon Calamari cruisers, albeit it now less noticeable. The super-carrier was long and sleek. Cade and Finn marveled at the size of the vessel as they began their approach.

"How big do you think it is? It's gotta be at least two-thousand meters."

Cade shook his head. "More. It's gotta be three thousand. Look how many hangars it's got." He pointed at the various hangars as the Falcon navigated the access tunnel that ran along the portside of the ship.

"I heard she carries over two-hundred fighters." Said Poe with a smile on his face, eager to discover his new home. "It means Black and Rogue Squadron might launch from the same ship now."

"Why is that a good thing?" asked Finn. "I thought you guys despised each other."

"Nah," said Poe. "Just some healthy competition. Now we'll know who's best." He flew the _Falcon_ to the edge of the hangar, as the rest of the slots were filled with brand new X-wings. Poe flipped numerous switches, extending the boarding ramp to the deck below.

Rey and Cade were the first ones to exit the ship, followed by Finn, Poe, and Chewie. The two droids took up the rear. On the deck in front of them stood the Chancellor of the New Republic and aunt to Cade, Leia Organa. Beside her stood the reliable golden protocol droid, C3P0.

She greeted Cade with her usual embrace. "Come," she stated simply, smiling and referring to the group as a whole. "Briefing with the Admiral. We're already late." The group followed her into the depths of the ship, receiving salutes and cheers from the soldiers along the way.


End file.
